Primary Sources: Oral History Project

Johanna Bremer met Fred, who was Jewish, through the Dutch resistance. After the war, they were married. Here, they are pictured just days after Allied forces began airlifting in supplies - and clothing - following the Nazi occupation of Amsterdam.

Welcome to Asbury Solomons' oral history archives, a project that grew out of a Veteran's Day commemoration. For several years, residents who participated in World War II - most through the armed services, but some as civilians - have been sharing their historical experiences with students from nearby Patuxent High School. Early in 2012, we decided to capture their stories in detail and share them with the community at large.

We plan to add to these archives with records of other historical events and periods. Please feel free to add your comments to our interviews, and if you have any questions, please contact: ccanning@asbury.org.

Velma Gunselman entered the Navy as a nurse and was stationed in Philadelphia’s massive naval hospital before being sent to a “little fishing village” in Solomons, Md. There, Velma treated sailors who became ill or were injured while working on the Navy’s “top secret” mine testing. She remembers...

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